Edward G Robinson | Biography and Filmography | 1893 Biography Golden Age Hollywood's ultimate O. G., Edward G. Robinson made a living as a "tough guy" in a raft of iterations, from hardboiled newspaperman to intrepid G-man. In real life soft-spoken, intellectual and selfless, Robinson would nevertheless imprint himself as cold-eyed Machiavellian thugs in such film classics as "Little Caesar" (1931), "The Sea Wolf" (1941) and "Key Largo" (1948) - though he could also single-handedly lift films with his rapid-fire comic timing, as with such screwball outings as "The Whole Town's Talking" (1935), and with colorful, cerebral supporting roles, as in "Double Indemnity" (1944). Able to command the screen by both verve and subtlety, he played his roles with such archetypal distinction and verbal flare that he would wind up inspiring a number of cartoon characters, from the shorts of Warner Bros.

studio-mate Bugs Bunny while he was alive to lovably inept constable Chief Wiggum in American television's longest-running show, "The Simpsons" (Fox, 1989- ). Soylent Green Movie Quotes Stars: Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, Dick Van Patten, Chuck Connors, Joseph Cotten Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Runtime: 97 minutes Charlton Heston seemed fond of starring in apocalyptic science-fiction films in the late 1960s and early '70s. There was Planet of the Apes, of course, and The Omega Man. But there was also 1973's Soylent Green, a strange detective film (based on Harry Harrison's Make Room! Make Room!) set in 2022 and starring Heston as a Manhattan cop trying to solve a murder in the overpopulated, overheated city. His roommate (a necessity in the overcrowded metropolis), played by Edward G. Robinson, tries telling him about a better time on Earth before there were no more resources or room left; but Heston doesn't care.

Directed by Richard Fleischer (The Vikings), the film has a curious but largely successful mix of mystery and bleak futuristic vision, somewhat like Blade Runner but without the extraordinary art direction. This was Robinson's last film and he's easily the best thing about it; his final scene seems terribly appropriate in retrospect. Joseph Cotten makes an appearance as the man whose murder results in the revelation of a shocking secret. --Tom Keogh Stomp Tokyo Video Reviews - Soylent Green Soylent Green Our rating: four LAVA® motion lamps. Heston comes face-to-face with Soylent Green. Despite the fact that its too-famous last line spoils the story's main surprise, Soylent Green is still a powerful film. Its reputation and production values may lead you to believe that it is yet another bad sci-fi movie from the 1970's. Don't be fooled. Charlton Heston, an actor who has had better last movie lines than any other star we can think of, plays Detective Thorn. Thorn is one of the few "good" New York cops in the famine-ravaged year of 2022.

At this point in the future, overpopulation is problem number one, so much so that Thorn has to climb over a carpet of sleeping bodies every time he takes the stairs outside his apartment. To feed the sprawling masses, new types of food have been introduced by the Soylent corporation, which distinguishes between the various soy and plankton products by color. Soylents red and yellow have been joined by a new flavor, soylent green, which is " made from the finest undersea growth. " Thorn, a homicide detective, is called upon to investigate the death of William Simonson (Joseph Cotten), one of the highest members of the Soylent corporation. Although it initially looks like the work of a burglar who broke into Simonson's apartment, Thorn uncovers facts that reveal Simonson's death to have been an assassination. Thorn is occasionally assisted in his investigation by Shirl (Leigh Taylor-Young), a young woman who lives in the apartment as " furniture " for its tenant. Shirl's presence is not the only indication that Simonson was a rich man: the apartment has hot running water, plenty of real food, and books made from real paper.

Thorn is a good cop, but he's not above "liberating" as many of these amenities as he can during the course of the investigation -- including Shirl. Insert your own Ally McBeal joke here. Thorn takes all the evidence he can find back to his "book," a sort of live-in researcher for detectives, named Sol. Sol (Edward G. Robinson in his final role) remembers the world before the famine struck. "When I was a kid, you could buy meat anywhere!" he says. Thorn, who has no such memories, humors him and brings him what small luxuries he can in exchange for Sol's services. Sol is our link to this sordid future; he is as horrified as we are at the state of the world. He is also as disbelieving and frustrated as we might be with those who accept the state of things in this bleak horror-show of a life. Sol: How did we come to this? Thorn: Come on -- we're doing fine. Sol: We're doing lousy! Soylent Green is one of those terrific films in which one relatively clueless but decent person becomes embroiled in a plot much larger than he is.

Ill-equipped to deal with such a conspiracy, Thorn must survive on instinct and guts in best film-noir fashion. It's the kind of story that makes tv shows like The X-Files so popular, and it's the kind of tough-guy individualist role that Heston plays so well. Heston gets his revenge for Eight Is Enough four years in advance. By the end of the movie, it's hard not to look around at your surroundings and think, "Hey, I've got it pretty good." It's a film that's tough to watch, but that makes the few tender moments more powerful. Seeing Sol and Thorn share a meal of real food has a certain poignancy when you realize how rare such commonplace pleasures have become in this twisted future. Even more touching is the scene in which Sol finally decides to opt out of this haggard life in one of the most horrifying death scenes ever . Soylent Green walks a fine line between melodramatic Seventies science fiction and a thoughtful examination of problems that began to surface in a decade of oil shortages, endangered species, and Sha Na Na.

Despite some hokey character acting and a vision of the future that hasn't aged well (will rich people really be playing Asteroids in black and white twenty years from now?), Soylent Green is a sci-fi movie into which you can really sink your teeth -- metaphorically speaking, of course. . . . Review date: 01/29/1999 . This review is © copyright 2001 Chris Holland & Scott Hamilton. Blah blah blah. Please don't claim that it's yours blah blah, but feel free to e-mail it to friends, or better yet, send them the URL. To reproduce this review in another form, please contact us at guys@stomptokyo.com . Blah blah blah blah.

LAVA® , LAVA LITE® and the motion lamp configuration are registered trademarks of Haggerty Enterprises, Inc., Chicago, IL Soylent Green Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 152 out of 181 people found the following review useful: A classic even after 30 years from Dallas, TX 15 August 2003 This was Eddie Robinson's 101st film and his last, and he died of cancer nine days after shooting was complete. All of which makes his key scene in the movie all the more poignant. Although some of the hair and clothing styles are a bit dated (also note the video game shown in the film), but the subject of the film is pretty much timeless. Heston said he had wanted to make the film for some time because he really believed in the dangers of overpopulation. Several things make this film a classic. The story is solid. The acting is top-notch, especially the interplay between Heston and Robinson, with nice performances also by Cotten and Peters. The music is absolutely perfect. The medley of Beethoven, Grieg, and Tchaikovsky combined with the pastoral visual elements make for some truly moving scenes.

This was the icing on the cake for the film. And the theme (or the "point") of the film is a significant one. Yes, it's a film about overpopulation, but on a more important note it's a cautionary tale about what can go wrong with Man's stewardship of Earth. It's in the subtext that you find the real message of the film. Pay attention to what Sol says about the "old days" of the past (which is our present), and note how Thorn is incapable of comprehending what Sol is saying. This film is one of my top sci-fi films of all time. Was the above review useful to you? 109 out of 138 people found the following review useful: a true classic from Greeneville, TN 30 September 2004 I saw this movie shortly after it first came out - when I was a kid. The scene that sticks with me to this day is when the scoops come to break up the riot. The cop says, "The supply of Soylent Green has been exhausted. The scoops are on the way." Then the front-end loader trucks come and scoop the people up like so much garbage.

The fact that 2022 looks like 1973 is entirely plausible because society has gone retrograde. Charlton Heston's performance is beautifully nuanced and believable. Edward G. Robinson is unforgettable as Sol. References to this movie pop up in shows like "The Simpsons" and "Millennium" for the simple reason that it is a visionary look at the future with real heart - a true classic. Was the above review useful to you? 145 out of 216 people found the following review useful: remember, before Star Wars, when sci-fi was smart? 1 July 2004 Soylent Green IS...a really good movie, actually. I never would've thought it. I don't really like Heston in his sci-fi efforts. He's one of those actors who, like Superman, manages to come across all sneery and invincible most of the time. I prefer more vulnerable heroes. And indeed, he sneers his way through much of Soylent Green, too, but as he's supposed to be playing an overconfident bully I don't really mind. I can understand why some people would turn their noses up at this movie.

Soylent Green makes no effort whatsoever to create futuristic visuals (what do you know - it looks just like 1973), and it's lacking in action. But I admired the film's vision of a complex, corrupt, and highly stratified society, and I was so pleased to see that Edward G. Robinson had such a moving, funny final role. Nice little character moments - like when he shares some precious food with Heston - really make the movie. The message of Soylent Green is pretty relevant these days, when nobody seems to know what the hell the government or corporations are up to. Funny, isn't it, to see Heston in a prototype Michael Moore movie... Was the above review useful to you? 95 out of 126 people found the following review useful: WOW from U.S.A. 27 March 2001 I saw Soylent Green back in 1973 when it was first released and maybe another eight times over the years on T.V. or video. It was always one of my favorite sci-fi and/or Charlton Heston films. Recently, the Egyptian theater in L.A. had a twelve film Charlton Heston retrospective.

I flew in from out of state to see six of the films over a two day period. Soylent Green looked great on the large Egyptian screen with a perfect new print. From its opening montage to the going home scene to the great ending the film was fantastic. Charlton Heston as a cop who lives in a dog eat dog world with few natural resources left and no understanding as to how the world used to be and Eddie Robinson as a man who remembers the past are both great. Their chemistry together is wonderful. The film also looks so much better in a great 35mm print. Fleisher really knows how to fill the screen,and the cinematoraphy, writing, music used, and everything about it works. The film is also very powerful in its bleak and very possible view of the future. Just think how the world population grew, the rain forest that disappeared, resources used up, green house effect getting worse since 1973. I just wonder why this film has not played in theaters all these years. Its reputation should be better. Speaking of reputations, often people speak as if Charlton Heston is not a great actor.

Seeing him in El-Cid, Soylent Green, The Warlord, The Omega Man, Will Penny, and Major Dundee back to back I am convinced he is one of our best actors. Of course he made about a dozen other great films and for those that care you know what they are. Was the above review useful to you? 72 out of 98 people found the following review useful: Far deeper and intelligent than what first meets the eye from Bradenton, Florida 19 July 2006 This is a brilliant sci-fi movie that is very strange in how men and women both view the same film. I have talked to many people about the film and almost every guy loved it and said it was brilliant--while most women thought it was just disgusting and stupid! This is the only movie I know of that has such polarized views based on gender. Perhaps many women just have a lower tolerance for disgusting or depressing plots--but whatever the cause, I have always found this difference fascinating. The film begins with a murder and a subsequent investigation headed by Charlton Heston. This is set in the near future and the head of the huge international Soylent Corporation has been assassinated.

As the film unfolds, you quickly realize this is a terrible and highly inequitable future American society. The rich live in gorgeous apartments with security and all the pleasures money can buy(including "furniture"--a euphemism for paid mistresses that come along with the apartment). At the same time, the masses are dirt poor, unemployed and in many cases living in abandoned cars or apartment hallways. Overpopulation and smog have taken a severe toll and the future looks awful indeed! Why the rich man died and the awful truth he could not live with I really should NOT discuss--it could ruin the film for you. However, the film has a great plot and acting and is super-exciting to watch. Plus, it features Edward G. Robinson in his final screen performance as the crusty sidekick to Heston. Though not for the easily depressed or squeamish, this is a great sci-fi film that is allegorical and profound. Was the above review useful to you? 58 out of 76 people found the following review useful: A surprisingly thought-provoking movie from Swindon, UK 11 July 2004 Very interesting.

The big twist wasn't as big a shock as maybe they had hoped for and it was very dated but it did get my mind working. It really got me thinking about a world without vegetation or livestock and made me appreciate the world I live in a lot more. Charlton Heston does a good job, as do all the supporting characters, and it was a very realistic film which was surprising. It lacked direction at times and a lot of the settings and background needed more explanation but it was still a surprisingly good and intelligent movie. The main fault that I could find was that I didn't want the film to end when it did, I would have liked to see what happened next. 7/10 from United Kingdom 2 April 2006 It is the year 2022 and nothing has changed even if things have gotten worse. New York City has become even more overpopulated and is just yet another city heaving in its own filth with countless "have-nots" fighting over sparse resources. Energy supplies are low, water is strictly controlled, living spaces are small and cramped and "real" food is a luxury reserved for the very rich.

The masses do not have such luxuries and eat rationed supplies of high-nutrient processed foods from the Soylent Corporation. Detective Thorn is a "have-not" and just like everyone else is out to get what he can for himself and friend Sol Roth. Called to a burglary that became a murder, Thorn learns that the victim is a director at Soylent and suspects that all the curious thing about the crimes may be coming together to be far more than the work of some random thug. Famous for its "shock" ending (which everyone must know and most people will guess) this film is actually more than just one scene and is actually an intelligent sci-fi detective story that has an engaging central story and a generally interesting vision of the future that is much more convincing than the one of Hollywood blockbusters and such. The investigation is solid but it is the world it happens within that is most interesting as we see a world where, surprise surprise, the poor people are left to make do while those better off can still enjoy the finer things while they remain. It is not an earth shattering view of the future but it is a convincing one and I enjoyed being in this story and seeing this world played out.

Personally I bought it but it may help that I mistrust corporations anyway and believe that the poor will be the first to get shafted when anything bad happens, simply because they have less to work with. The narrative is not the strongest though and in terms of it being a detective story it could have been better. Some viewers have complained about the lack of action, which I think is a pretty unfair accusation since it wasn't trying to be that type of film. The main characters are interesting. Thorn is a man of authority but he is just like everyone else, out to get what he can and takes advantage of others the first chance he gets. His relationship with Roth is not fully explained but it worked anyway and provided a touch of humanity. It helps that both actors did good jobs of it as well. Heston normally plays the gruff hero but here at least he allows the corruption within man's heart to come out. Robinson has less of a character but his performance is assured and is touching for reasons internal and external to the film. Support is not so good but it is less important in the smaller roles; Cotton is a nice find though. Overall this is a famous film that is good but not without its faults.

The narrative is reasonably interesting and carries the film all the way to a nice (but too well-known) conclusion but it is in the general vision of the future of a world where the people are struggling to get by with resources running low. A smart sci-fi that is well worth seeing. Was the above review useful to you? 62 out of 100 people found the following review useful: a great surprise - highly enjoyable. from Chester, England 13 April 2004 I watched this film sort of by accident, having bought it as the B side on The Omega Man DVD. The Omega Man was a bit of a disappointment - except for the beginning, which was clearly the inspiration for 28 Days Later, the rest of it is just the stuff of TV movies. But Soylent Green is in a whole other league. I bet this is one of Tarantino's favourites. There are at least 3 scenes in the film that I've never seen anything like before. Heston casually getting into bed with the "furniture" while discussing something else completely unrelated! A whole crowd of people being scooped up by a fleet of mechanical diggers! A priest taking confession and being shot by the confessor.

Ok maybe that's been done since - but there aren't many films that are so consistently original like this. And what the heck is going on between Heston and Edward G. Robinson? Is this the most unlikely gay couple ever, or what? Luckily, I saw this film without knowing the ending - which apparently is rare. Then I watched it again, and enjoyed all the little clues that make the long early scenes worthwhile. A very nice script - and some great sets too. Just when you thought you'd seen everything . . . Was the above review useful to you? 31 out of 40 people found the following review useful: A Hopeless World 4 January 2007 *** This review may contain spoilers *** The only other film besides Soylent Green that has such an air of hopelessness is On the Beach. Both films deal with the consequences for the species and the planet from man made cataclysms. On the Beach with nuclear war and Soylent Green with the environmental poisoning of the planet. Maybe there's cause for some optimism because as of 2007 we haven't reached either of the worlds described in those films and we were supposed to by now.

New York City still has about 8 million people not the 22 million by the turn of the millenia as described in Soylent Green. Environmentalists always hail this film as showing the consequence of global warming. For myself it also shows the Right to Life ethic run amuck. Obviously there's no family planning in this world either. Charlton Heston is an NYPD detective who lives with room mate Edward G. Robinson who's old enough to remember the Earth before catastrophe struck. There's been a murder committed, Joseph Cotten an executive with the Soylent Corporation, a multi-national concern that has come up with a food product, some kind of wafer in many colors to feed the world's population. It's latest product is Soylent Green. The investigation finds Charlton Heston getting his man, but also it leads to some horrifying truths about the Soylent Corporation and the future of mankind. As Heston shouts in the end that Soylent Green is made of people, that we've become a race of cannibals, the horrifying thing is that there is no alternative. We've exhausted the planet and we have to eat our dead to survive. This was the farewell performance of Edward G.

Robinson and in his memoirs Heston spoke movingly of Robinson even though they had differing political views. A few weeks after Robinson wrapped that final scene of his screen demise by consented euthanasia, he passed away in real life. Not many did, but Heston knew that Robinson was terminally ill and there was no acting involved in that final death scene between the two of them. Though the timetable was off, it doesn't mean that the world envisioned by Soylent Green may not come to pass. Hopefully we'll have not just the intelligence, but the sense of shared responsibility to keep that from happening. Was the above review useful to you? 30 out of 39 people found the following review useful: A Sci-Fi Film that Has not Aged from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 9 October 2011 In 2022, Earth is overpopulated and totally polluted; the natural resources have exhaust and the nourishment of the population is supplied by the Soylent Industries, a food made by plankton from the oceans. In New York, when the Soylent's member of the board William R.

Simonson (Joseph Cotton) is murdered apparently by a burglar at the Chelsea Towers West where he lives, the efficient Detective Thorn (Charlton Heston) is assigned to investigate the case with his partner Solomon "Sol" Roth (Edward G. Robinson). Thorn comes to the fancy apartment and meets Simonson's bodyguard Tab Fielding (Chuck Connors) and the "furniture" (woman that is rented together with the flat) Shirl (Leigh Taylor-Young) and the detective concludes that the executive was not victim of burglary but executed. Further, he finds that the Governor Santini (Whit Bissell) and other powerful men want to disrupt and end his investigation. But Thorn continues his work and discovers that the oceans have exhausted and the bizarre and disturbing secret of the ingredient used to manufacture Soylent Green. "Soylent Green" is one of the best sci-fi ever made and a film that has not aged. On the contrary, when I saw it in the movie theater in 1973, it was another good film with catastrophic view of the future.

Along the years, I have seen this film on VHS at least four more times and every time that I see it, I find it better and better. In Brazil, this film has not been released on DVD or Blu-ray, only in the movie-theater in 1973 and on a rare VHS with the title "No Mundo de 2020" (translation: "In the World of 2020", despite the story takes place in 2022) and I have just bought the imported Blu-Ray and saw it again. It is impressive how the writer Harry Harrison was capable to foresee the future in 1966 with pollution, overpopulation and menace of exhaustion of the natural resources and write his novel "Make Room! Make Room!". In those years, the concept of ecology did not exist, at least the same way in the present days. The grim view of the cannibalism to fee the population introduced by Stanley R. Greenberg in the screenplay fortunately has not been achieved yet. "Soylent Green" is also the film number 101 in the career of the unforgettable actor Edward G.

Robinson that was with cancer and almost deaf during the shooting and died two weeks after the conclusion of this film. The Blu-Ray has in the extras a tribute to this great actor. My vote is ten. Title (Brazil): "No Mundo de 2020" ("In the World of 2020") Was the above review useful to you? Page 1 of 25: Soylent Green Soylent Green Friday March, 24 2017 at 04:00 AM Films in BOLD will Air on TCM * | VIEW TCMDb ENTRY If you think the world is going to the dogs, then Soylent Green (1973) will confirm your worst fears. Based on Harry Harrison's classic science fiction novel, Make Room! Make Room!, Soylent Green is an apocalyptic vision of the future set in the year 2020. Pollution, overpopulation, and a chaotic social order have turned New York City into a giant roach trap for humans. But that's not the worst part. Wait till you see what they're serving for lunch! Synthetic wafers made out of plankton.

Or is it some other top-secret ingredient that the government refuses to reveal? Although Soylent Green remains one of the most popular science fiction films of the seventies (it won the much coveted Nebula Award), it did take several liberties with Harry Harrison's original novel, resulting in some major disagreements between the author and MGM, the studio that made the film. In the book, Omni's Screen Flights/Screen Fantasies, edited by Danny Peary, Harry Harrison discusses the mutilation of his novel in the following excerpt: "As is standard Hollywood practice, the author of the book upon which this film is based was treated shabbily. All the usual tricks were used: a dummy company was set up to disguise the fact that it was really MGM buying the film rights; a contract was drawn up to prevent the author from having any control over the screenplay - and, of course, creative bookkeeping made certain none of the film's profits reached the author....Although forbidden by contract to make any changes in the script, I nevertheless pointed out a number of inaccuracies and mistakes I discovered....I propagandized everyone in sight, from grips to actors, by giving them copies of the original book.

When Charlton Heston got his, he called across the set to the director (Richard Fleischer), 'Hey, Dick, why aren't you using this title instead of the crappy Soylent Green?' The answer, which Fleischer perhaps did not know, was the decision made in high places that my title might be associated with a long-dead TV series named 'Make Room for Daddy.' Moral: When you throw away a good title, you always get a bad one....The idiotic cannibal-crackers (not in the book) and the 'big' revelation that they are made from corpses will have been twigged by the audience early on. This, and the murder and chase sequences, the 'furniture' girls (not in the book) are not what the film is about - and are completely irrelevant. The film, like the book, shows what the world will be like if we continue in our insane manner to pollute and overpopulate Spaceship Earth. This is the 'message' of film and book. Both of them deliver this message in a manner unique to science fiction: The technique of background-as-foreground....Am I pleased with the film? I would say fifty percent. The message of the book has been delivered.

It was an exciting experience to see a major film produced by a major studio. It was a humbling experience to meet Edward G. Robinson. A great actor and a great human being. He alone knew that he had terminal cancer when he made the film. He must have chosen to make one more film rather than sit quietly at home and await death. He died before the film was released and it is a tribute to the hard-nosed film executives that they did try to cut out the suicide-parlor scene before the film was released. But it is such an integral part of the film that it could not be done." Since Soylent Green takes place in the near future where overpopulation has become mankind's curse, much of the set design was created to mimic New York City's extreme space problems in the 21st century. A certain aesthetic was designed to make every nook and cranny of the New York City streets look filled in with something, whether it is garbage, vehicles or people. Indeed, some of the "sets" are people themselves.

Younger women are referred to as "furniture" and placed in apartments for men of privilege while people that can actually read are referred to as "books." The euthanasia death chamber was conceived as a sort of super IMAX movie theater where previously "forbidden" images such as forests, water, or mountains flash before the occupants' eyes in their dying moments. In a career that spanned five decades, the art director of Soylent Green, Edward C. Carfagno, created many unique movie sets in his time, mostly for MGM. Carfagno earned Academy Awards for Best Art Direction for his work in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), Julius Caesar (1953), and Ben-Hur (1959), while earning nominations for many more. He worked on an additional twenty-five films, many for actor-director Clint Eastwood, before his death in 1996. And now for a quick bit of trivia about the director of Soylent Green - Richard Fleischer. Did you know he was the son of the famous animator Max Fleischer, the man who created Betty Boop and Koko the Clown?

Do you know he also directed such fantasy and sci-fi favorites as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Fantastic Voyage (1966), Dr. Dolittle (1967), Conan the Destroyer (1984), and Red Sonja (1985)? Among his many movies, however, Soylent Green appears to be the popular cult favorite, and people still love to quote that unforgettable line from the film, "Soylent Green is PEOPLE!!!" Director: Richard Fleischer Producer: Walter Seltzer, Russell Thacher Screenplay: Stanley R. Greenberg, Harry Harrison (based on his novel, Make Room! Make Room! Cinematography: Richard H. Kline Editing: Samuel E. Beetley Music: Fred Myrow Principal Cast: Charlton Heston (Police Detective Thorn), Leigh Taylor-Young (Shirl), Edward G. Robinson (Sol Roth), Chuck Connors (Tab Fielding), Joseph Cotten (William R. Simonson), Brock Peters (Lt. Hatcher), Mike Henry (Kulozik), Whit Bissell (Governor Santini), Dick Van Patten (Usher #1).

C-97m. Letterboxed. Closed captioning. Soylent Green (Film) - TV Tropes Soylent Green You need to login to do this. Get Known if you don't have an account Share "SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!" — Detective Thorn Soylent Green is a 1973 Science Fiction film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Charlton Heston , loosely based on a 1966 Harry Harrison novel called Make Room! Make Room! . Everyone knows the big plot twist . The year is 2022 . Overpopulation has brought environmental and economic collapse. In New York City , pop. 40,000,000 (its current population is about 8 million, not much higher than in 1970), police detective Frank Thorn (Heston) is investigating the burglary-turned-murder of wealthy businessman William Simonson (Joseph Cotten), a board member of the food rations manufacturer Soylent Corporation .

Based on the fact that there were valuable food and books left for him to steal , and that his bodyguard Fielding (Chuck Connors) and 'furniture' Shirl (Leigh Taylor-Young) were conveniently away at the time, Thorn believes it to be an assassination. He gives Simonson's oceanographic survey (which he himself stole) to his roommate Sol Roth ( Edward G. Robinson ), a book collector, and they have a memorable scene cooking up the food he also stole from the late Mr. Simonson. In his investigation, he discovers that Fielding has more money than his job would provide, thus placing him under suspicion. Thorn is then called off the investigation and put on riot control duty, where an attempt is made on his life. He manages to get the assassin crushed under a people-scooping bulldozer. Roth, having uncovered a terrible secret in the oceanographic survey, has lost the will to live and decides to take government-sponsored euthanasia. Thorn finds him at the suicide clinic, just in time for Roth to tell him the secret with his dying words . He follows Roth's corpse along to a factory that processes the dead into soylent green biscuits .

He makes a call to his chief , Hatcher (Brock Peters), and is unsuccessfully ambushed by Fielding who dies in the struggle. Severely wounded, he urges Hatcher to tell people the truth about Soylent Green, thus providing the famous quote. Last film for Edward G. Robinson, who died of cancer 12 days after production wrapped. For the trope previously known as the titular food, see Powered by a Forsaken Child , Human Resources . SOYLENT GREEN IS TROPES!! Adaptation Name Change : Thorn was known as "Andy Rusch" in Harrison's novel. All There Is to Know About "The Crying Game" : That Soylent Green is people is generally known — and that knowledge brings some folk to the film. The big reveal ain't gonna work for them, but watching the various characters slowly learn the secret is a very interesting and emotional journey in its own right. Also less known is that the world's oceans have been utterly exhausted. Alter Kocker : Sol Roth, a grumpy but charming N.Y. Jew who's seen better days. Antagonistic Governor : Governor Santini. A minor character.

He is revealed to be in cahoots with the murder victim of the story, as they were once law partners. Santini orders the investigation closed, since further study would reveal the secret of Soylent Green. Anti-Hero : Thorn has no qualms about Robbing the Dead or just in general helping himself to other people's stuff. Also, he Would Hit a Girl and, while he later comes to genuinely care about her, his first scene alone with Shirl apparently involves him bluntly ordering her to sleep with him. Still, he is committed to doing his job and is nice to his friends. Artifact Title : In the original book, Soylent Green wasn't people but soy and lentils , hence the title. The Beforetimes : When Thorn gets to see the (hidden) video Sol gets to see in the euthanasia clinic, he is shocked at what earth used to look like. The Big Rotten Apple : The worst aspects of 1970s New York multiplied by 100 (at least). Buxom Is Better : Implied. When asked if he has anything to report on Simonson's "furniture" (i.e.

Shirl), Thorn's only response is to grin, gesture vaguely at his own torso and say "Like grapefruit!". Which is a little odd considering, as Hatcher notes , Thorn has never seen a grapefruit. Covers Always Lie : Though more of misleading in this case. Once the "Riot Control" front end loaders arrive they lift groups of people so slowly you wonder why everyone isn't jumping right off. Possibly intentional. The riot scoops are just to get the rioters out of the way. If they jump and run off it's still done it's job, but if they actually do end up arresting the people rioting for food, they'd have to feed them. Crapsack World : You have people sleeping on every inch of the street, and even on the staircases of apartments, real food is expensive, there is a year long heat wave going on, not to mention the secret of Soylent Green... Da Chief : Hatcher is an unusually laid-back example, but he still has the general look, rank and requisite "stop chasing this case" scene. Downer Ending : Thorn is badly injured and may well die, but manages to tell dozens of people the secret of Soylent Green.

Whether the secret will actually take root as public knowledge, and more importantly, what the public and United Nations will actually do with that knowledge (if anything) is left ambiguous. But it's irrelevant, given the sad state of the environment. With the oceans dead, the bulk of the world's oxygen supply is gone. Almost all of the world's natural resources are used up, too, and humanity appears to be headed for its final collapse. Driven to Suicide : Sol hates what the world has become and mutters about how he should have " gone home " ages ago. He eventually decides the time has come when he finds out the entire ocean is devoid of life now and the human race is forced to eat its own dead to survive.

Question: Which famous US actor made his last film appearance in the film Solyent Green?
Answer: EDWARD G ROBINSON